Meet the Piccolo, the smallest model of the Krups Nescafe Dolce Gusto line of single serve coffee drink makers.

My only complaint on the packaging was that it was so hard to get out of the box without ripping everything. I usually save boxes so I have them when we move, but this time it went in the garbage.

We were first introduced to this on the island. They have been around for quite some time here and really started out in the European market. While traveling with my mom over the summer, we were in a department store in Lisbon and they were giving out samples. One sip and my mom was sold. She was just moments away from buying one back on the island, but the machine was wired for European outlets.
With a little research, we discovered they sell these in the States, including Bed, Bath and Beyond, which means I think the coupons should work on this, but don’t quote me on that. As soon as my mom and step dad returned home, they bought one.

A few months later, Ryan and I were at a local expo and they were on sale. Did we buy one then? Nope, the whole European plug and power thing stopped us too, but we did go home and order one on Amazon.

Once we had it out of the package, we set it up with the rest of our coffee goods. We had been expecting this in the mail, so we bought some pods already. I will admit these pods are pricey in the US and therefore cheaper in Portugal, but I honestly foresee this coming down in price as the product gains popularity.

Along with the machine we were sent a sample pack too. This came with 4 flavors to try. I also like that with your purchase you get a code for a free box of pods.

Over here we also have a variety of espresso strengths and a Nesquik hot chocolate. I started off with the Nesquik. I like that this has only 85 calories. The chococino is almost double that. To make the drink you slide in a pod.

The back is a container for water, so that needs to be filled, and then there is a switch for hot and one for cold. you simply flip the switch and it starts to brew your beverage. The directions for the machine even come with directions for volume of each beverage.

Overall, we love this product and recommend it. We even bought one for Ryan’s mom for her birthday.

As for the flavors, I have only tried a few, but here are my thoughts:

Nesquik- Very good if you are looking for a light chocolate beverage. Like I said, I like that it is only 85 calories.

Espresso- I personally do not drink espresso, but Ryan does and he makes them in the morning as he heads out to work.

Latte Macchiato- Fantastic, and I can’t wait to try the vanilla. I really like this, but because it is made with whole milk, I drink this occasionally. The down side with milky beverages is that the box comes with 16 total pods, but 8 are the coffee and 8 are the milk, so you use 2 for each drink, versus the espresso for plain coffee. I think in the end, it is probably still cheaper than Starbuck’s or whatever other coffee house you might go to. There is also the option of steaming your own milk at home and then mixing in the espresso brewed from this machine.

Cappuccino- There is a huge difference in flavor between the skinny and the regular, and since I always drink fat free coffee drinks, this doesn’t bother me a bit. If I am looking for a richer drink, I grab the regular, but most often I go with the skinny. In fact, it was the availability of the skinny product that helped my mom make her decision to buy one. The skinny has 49 calories versus 84 in the regular, which is not all that bad either.

Chococino- If you are looking for an indulgence, this is it. At a whopping 147 calories for about 8 ounces, this is pure decadence in a cup. The chocolate is a deep chocolate that smells so good when it hits the cup, and then just a tad of milk tops it off. This one I save for a treat, and my more often chocolate beverage is the Nesquik.

Peach Iced Tea- I have not tried this yet, but I wanted to mention that there are just over 20 calories in a serving of this beverage, and it is nice that there is a chilled beverage available.

Another fun feature is that each box comes with a code and these are worth points. You can enter these online and collect the points which are usable on drink pods and other accessories.

So, if you are in the market for a single serve coffee maker and are looking for one that does more than just espresso, this may be the machine for you. We couldn’t be any happier with our purchase.

QUESTIONS: Have you ever seen this product? Do you have a single serve coffee maker? What is your favorite coffee drink?

10 comments:

I actually first saw that product in a hospital waiting room of all places when my husband was having knee surgery.

I love the fact that you can have a different cup of coffee every time, but the pods do seem a bit pricey - I may wait to get it, but it is a great idea - and my daughter would love to have different coffee too.

I was JUST at BBB this past weekend and they had this like nook off the store filled with all of those single serving cups for single-serving coffee/capp/cocoa machines like this. They are so hot right now! I'm glad the coffee gets a rave review -- I don't have room for a coffee maker in my kitchen, but something smaller would work. :)

Thanks for offering up your help with my new teaching gig. They actually handed me EVERYTHING -- syllabus, book, test bank, study guides, projects, POWER POINTS, everything! I think all I have to do is show up and teach it! I haven't had the chance to look it over yet, but I have 2 long flights this weekend and will have the time then. I will definitely be reaching out with questions! I HOPE to get some online gigs in the future and give up my smaller dialysis clinic that's a 70 minute drive from home. :)

I've never seen this particular product before, but when I worked at Tufts, they had a similar machine that was much bigger and much more unwieldy. I loved the little pods! Now that Peter has started drinking coffee, I've been toying around with the idea if getting something like this. I can imagine curling up with a cup of the Chococino for dessert in the evenings. I'll have to check out our local BBB (after getting their coupon, of course!).

I have seen similar machines in hospital waiting rooms and at Bloomingdale's but I've never seen this particular one. I am not much of a coffee drinker but if I were I could see how all the money I'd save at Starbucks would justifying buying this!

I want one!!! I've been eying a single serve coffee maker for a LONG time. (Not a big surprise since I love everything coffee...). I love how stylish yours is!!! I'm trying to convince hubby that it will actually help me to drink less coffee... :)

I've seen this product, but I'm just a girl who loves her black coffee! And, single cups won't do ;) I typically drink between 5 and 6 cups of coffee (black) per day. I do half regular, half decaf, I just LOVE the taste of coffee! This would be a nice gadget for a special treat for me, at night or after a long day, but it's very neat that they are so low in calories!! My mom would probably love this too.

So you got one with a 110V? How much did you cough out for it? They are around $100 here and $10 for 2 weeks worth (12 ish) podsIt's funny because over here in Germany, the single pod makers are popular as well. I am going to a large store today and will look at them....see! The power of social consumerism is HUGE!